On Monday, September 29th, German airline group Lufthansa said it will cut 4,000 jobs by 2030, which corresponds to nearly 4 % of its workforce—a move underscoring the slump gripping Europe’s largest economy.
Lufthansa said most jobs will be slashed in Germany, focusing on administrative rather than operational roles. The group—which employs around 103,000 people—includes Eurowings, Austrian, Swiss, and Brussels Airlines, as well as the recently acquired Italian flagship airline, ITA Airways.
Despite big promises from the ruling government, Germany’s economy is entering a second consecutive year of recession, with unemployment reaching its highest level in a decade. The total number of unemployed has risen to 2.98 million, an increase of 170,000 compared with last year.
The economic downturn has hit some of the nation’s corporate giants hard, pressured by rising energy costs, and slow adoption of new technologies.
Lufthansa’s announcement comes just days after another major German company, industrial giant Bosch, revealed plans to cut 13,000 jobs, equivalent to 3% of its global workforce.
“The Lufthansa Group is reviewing which activities will no longer be necessary in the future, for example due to duplication of work,” the company said in a statement.
“In particular, the profound changes brought about by digitalization and the increased use of artificial intelligence will lead to greater efficiency in many areas and processes,” it added.
The airline group also outlined new financial targets for 2028–2030, including an adjusted operating margin of 8–10%.
